GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q: What is Toastmasters?
A: Toastmasters is an international organization aimed at helping people improve their speaking and leadership skills. Walter Gage Toastmasters is one of the Toastmasters International clubs, based in Vancouver. Currently, we're also the only Toastmasters club at UBC.
Q: Do I need to contact your club before attending?
A: No need! Check out our Instagram for the location and timings and any changes.
Q: Am I required to speak at the club meeting?
A: No. You are not obligated to speak when visiting a club. You may simply observe if you wish.
Q: Can I visit more than one club?
A: Yes. We encourage you to visit multiple clubs to find the one that best fits your needs.
Q: Is there a fee to attend the club?
A: There are no fees to attend a meeting as a guest.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of meetings I can attend as a guest?
A: No.
Q: How long are the meetings?
A: 2 hours long with a 10 minute break.
Q: Do I need to bring anything to the club meetings?
A: No. You are not required to bring anything to a meeting, but a pen and paper could be useful for taking notes.
Q: Is there a leader or instructor at the club meetings?
A: Aside from our club's executive, which includes the President and other elected officers, there is no other leadership. The Chair takes up a semi-leadership role by facilitating our weekly meetings. At these meetings, there are no instructors present. We hold educationals periodically and we have a mentorship program, but other than that our training system is self-guided.
Q: Can anyone become a club member?
A: As long as you are at least 18 years of age, you can join Toastmasters.
Q: What if I'm not eighteen?
A: Instead of Toastmasters International, you can join Gavel Club, which is basically a junior version of Toastmasters.
Q: How much does it cost to become a club member?
A: Members pay international dues of CA $72 every six months. All new members also pay a one-time CA $20 fee.
Q: Does UBC Toastmasters have a chronic pun problem?
A: Yes, oui do.
Q: What are we doing Wednesday meeting?
A: The same thing we do every Wednesday night - TRY AND TAKE OVER THE WORLD! *Cough* I mean practice our public speaking and leadership skills. Every week, members get together to listen to, present and critique prepared and impromptu speeches by other members.
Q: Why should I join UBC Toastmasters?
A: We now have have a page dedicated to explaining why you should join! Check out the Member's benefits!
Q: How do I join UBC Toastmasters?
A: Here are a few approaches to getting involved with Toastmasters, and our club specifically:
- Get ready: Have a look around and see what our club is all about. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us.
- Drop in: Come as a guest at one of our weekly meetings. We are always open to new members and love to see new faces. Drop in to see if the atmosphere of our club is right for you. If you like, you can even participate in the Table Topics (impromptu speeches) portion of the meeting.
- Join: Fill out a membership form, pay your dues, and you'll become an official member! Try your best to attend the weekly meetings, and soon you'll start to feel the many benefits of Toastmasters.
Q: Why is Toastmasters so expensive?!
A: First off, it's worth mentioning that compared to other serious public speaking clubs, we are relatively cheap. Although we are technically an AMS Club, most of your membership fees do not go to us or the AMS. Instead, they go to Toastmasters International. As stated above, we are simply one of many Toastmasters International clubs and the fees are set by them.
Q: Who will evaluate my speeches and progress at Toastmasters?
A: Your fellow Toastmasters are your comrades in public speaking and your evaluators as well.
Q: Do you have a professional speaker guiding the club?
A: No, we do not.. However, we sometimes have guest speakers come in and give tips and guidance on public speaking.
Q: What is a "prepared speech"?
A: A speech from the Pathways manual or any of the advanced speech manuals. You'll receive the Pathways manual, which will guide you through your first several projects, once you become a member. Prepared speeches are given during roughly the first half of our meetings. This is followed by the speakers receiving written and oral feedback from their evaluators, as well as anonymous written feedback from the audience. These speeches typically require a fair amount of thought and preparation, hence they're referred to as prepared.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SPEECHES
Q: How do I sign up for a role at the club?
A: First off, it's worth remarking that you must be a member of our club to do so. You can sign up for a speech by directly contacting our President or VP Education. Another thing we sometimes do is go through role and speech signup at the very end of our meetings.
Q: So...I've signed up. What can my speech be about?
A: Anything you like! To dispel a myth you may have heard, please check out https://www.toastmasters.org/Footer/FAQ/Education-Program (the 4th FAQ from the top).
That being said, our club strongly recommends avoiding the topic of religion, or at least not speaking about it in argumentative or controversial terms. As with other topics, we ask that our members, in their speeches, refrain from attacking a person or group of people.
A: First off, it's worth remarking that you must be a member of our club to do so. You can sign up for a speech by directly contacting our President or VP Education. Another thing we sometimes do is go through role and speech signup at the very end of our meetings.
Q: So...I've signed up. What can my speech be about?
A: Anything you like! To dispel a myth you may have heard, please check out https://www.toastmasters.org/Footer/FAQ/Education-Program (the 4th FAQ from the top).
That being said, our club strongly recommends avoiding the topic of religion, or at least not speaking about it in argumentative or controversial terms. As with other topics, we ask that our members, in their speeches, refrain from attacking a person or group of people.
